Means for preserving structural parts.



A. KNAPEN.

MEANS FOR PRESBRVING STRUGTUBAL PARTS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.A15. 1909.

Patentd Aug. 1'?, 3.909.

L-...Meal

ACHILLE KNPE', OF BRUSSELS, BELGIUM.

MEAS TOR PRESERVINGfSTR'UCTUR-AL PARTS.

Speciicaton oi Letters Patent.

atented Aug'. 1'7, 1909.

Application led February 15, 1909. vSerial No. 477,944.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known -that I, ACHILLE KNAPEN, a subject of the King of Belgium,residing at Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, have invented new anduseful Meansfor Preserving Structural Parts, of which the following is aspecification.

.My invention relates to means for preserving structural arts, and, inparticular, structural parts ofp wood against decay or deterioration dueto moisture.

In carrying out this invention I avail my v self ofthe fact'that thedurability of Wood thus carried upward, such salts bei is greatlyenhanced if the same is either kept completely dry or continuallysubmerged in Water or in a wet medium, whereas the same ,is quicklydestroyed if exposed alternately to dryness and to-moisture, or if aportion of the same projects into the atmosphere While the remainingportion is permanently, submerged in water or embedded in permanentlymoist ground or soil. If a' portion of a wooden structural part whichprojects into the atmosphere is protected from rain by a roof, forexample,the lowermost portion of the same being embedded in moistground, there will'be an endangered zone in the structural part betweenthe permanently dry up -per `portion and the permanently Wet or moistlowermost portion of the saine. There will be established by this stateof things a continuous current of moisture rising from the wet zonetoward the dry zone, and this moisture will gradually evaporate in theintermediate endangered zone leaving behind it there, inthe pores vofthe wood 4the salts from the ground dissolved inthe liquid precipitatedas the' liquid evaporates. lhese deposits of the ground salts willlgradually clog up-the'pores of the wood in this endengered zone andwhen they have been completely clogged up, the further deposit-s willresult in abnormal expansive or explosive forces leading vv.to cracksand fissures.

. In orderto overcome these objections and to avoid the injuriouseffects recited, my invention consists in surrounding or inclosing thestructural part with a sheathing or mantle of suitable vmaterial whichcompletely incases the 'same along the entire dangerous zone and extendssome distance above and below said zone. 'lhe s ace bei' tween thismantle and the structura partis filled with porous material which is apoor conductor of heat, such as asbestos, said porous materialpermitting the circulation of air.

The-mantle ismade of suitable water and ai'rtightmaterial andis-preferably provided at its .top with a suitable cap or cover forexcluding rain or water `from other sources from the porous filling, andfor preventing the'access of frost-tothe :moist wood of the endangeredand sheathed 4zone in Winter. The current of moisture thus preventedfrom escaping'by the .mantleis directed upward in the structural part aninto its upper portion which is provided with a number of outwardly anddownwardly inclined .cavities or channels from which cavities themoisture, as it-rises, will be taken o by the circulation ot the airtherein as explained herein below.

M-y invention-also consists rof such further features and combinationsof parts as will be set -forth below and pointed out in the claims. I

In the accompanying drawing I have `represented what Iconsider thepreferred nienner of practicing the same, 1t being illustrated asapplied to a wooden pillar.

In v.this drawing Figure 1 represents an elevation, partly in section,of a wooden pil lar protected according to the invention and Fig. 2avertical section of the same unprotected mantle and iilling.

The'pillar lis represented as embedded in the ground from the line .2 2downward,l the :aground-being moist Ifrom the line 3 3 downward. Betweenthemoist or wet lower portion 11 of the pillar andr the dry upperportion, 12 of the same there will be y:termed what I term Atheendangered zone through which the ground moisture will pass, if notprotected, leaving behind -it deposits of ground salts as it evaporates.Thiszone is designatedfby the horizontal hatching in Fig.

2. In order to 4prevent this deposit of solid matter in the pores of thewoodin this zonel surround the pillar with a mantle or sheath 4 oi''water and airtight material saidniant-le extending somewhat aboveandsomewhat below said endangered zone as shownin Fig. 1, where theupper limit of this-zone is indicated bythe line 5--5. The annular'space'between the mantle 4 and the pillar 1 -is filled with porous material Gwhich is a poor conductor of heat, such as asbestos, said materialpermitting the free circulation of air.

' In order to prevent the admission of rain or moisture or of frost intothe annular space tion of solid matter in the pores of Wood is vvent theevaporation oi the-ascending cur- .lar at the endangered zone, and saidcurrent nid between the mantle and the pillar, I close the top of themantle with a cap or bushing 7 itting snugly around the top of themantle and around the pillar.

In most cases it will be convenient and desirable to form the mantle andthe cap or bushing in sections. In this casey the sections may be unitedby wirel ringsr 8, 9, as shown in Fig. l. The protecting mantle thusconstructed and arranged serves to pre rento'l moisture through thesides of the pilis caused to proceed upward as indicated by the arrows ain Fig. 2.' In order to prevent the aforesaid injurious deposits in thesection ot' the pillar above the endangered zonev and at the same timeto keep the said section dry I provide the said section with a series..1of outwardly and downwardly inclined cavities 'or channels l0, open atthe surface of the pillar, preferably in the form of tubular channels.The mode of operation of these channels has been explained in myconcurrent application, Serial Number 425,735, filed April '7th, 1908,but for the purposes of a complete disclosure it will be repeated hereas as necessary. The lighter slightly warmer and coniparatiyely drierair enters these channels l0 at the top and, proceeding in the directionof the arrows absorbs the moisture collecting in the channels and descends, into a lower stratum of the circunr ambient air. By these means,in connection with the protecting mantle, the deposiavoided, suchdeposits formino' in the cavities. At the same time thepiIlar above theendangered zone is maintained in a dry condition.

Although I have described the downwardly and outwardly inclined cavitiesfor the purposes of acomplete description I do not claim them hereinparte, since they are claimed in my aforesaid application, Serial Number425,735.

lvl/'hat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: l

l. An exposed structural part in combination with a mantle ot' water andair-tight material surrounding the same along a portion of its lengthand leaving a space between itself and the structural part, porousmaterial which is a poor conductor of heat arranged Within said space,the said mantle being closed at its top. l

2. An exposed structural part, in combination with a mantle of water andair-tight material' surrounding the same along a portion' of its lengthand leaving a space be tween itself andthe structural part, porousmaterial which 1s a poor conductor or' heat arranged within said space,and a cap filling around the top of said mantle and around thestrnctural part.

3. An exposed wooden pillar, in combination with a mantle of water andair tight material sin-rounding the same along a portion oi' its lengthand forming an annular space around the pillar, said space'being packedwith porous poor heat conducting material, and a bushing -iitting aroundthe pillar and closing the top of the annular space formed by themantle.

4. An exposed structural part provided at its upper portion with opendownwardly and outwardly inclined cavities, and embedded in the groundfor a portion of its length, in combination with a mantle of water andair tight material surrounding said structural part at an intermediateportion of its length extending upward into the dry'zone and downwardinto'the moist zone and forming a space around the structural part, saidspace being filled with porous material which is a poor conductor ofheat, said mantle being closed at its top.

5. An exposed structural part, provided at its upper portion with opendownwardly and outwardly inclined channels and eine bedded in the groundfor a portion oi' its length, in combination with mantle inclosing thesame for a. portion of its length, extending into the ground beyond theendangered zone and above the ground beyond the endangered zone, Aandforming a space around the structural part, said space being filled withporous, poor heat conducting material, and a cap litting around thestructural part andover the top of the mantle.

(i. An exposed wooden pillar provided at its upper portion with opendownwardly and outwardly inclined channels and embedded in the ground,in combination with a mantle of water or air tight material surroundingthe same, extending into the ground and above the ground beyond theendai'igeredzone, and forming a space around the pillar, a porous poorheat conducting illing'packed into said space, and a bushing fittingaround the pillar and closing the top of the mantle.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

ACHILLE KNAPEN.

VVitn'esses: l

GREGORY PHEL'AN, JAMES M. rFAY.

